It is known to use an imaging sensor to track movements of a trailer connected to a vehicle. In order to accurately to track the trailer, prior art systems require that a target is mounted to the front of the trailer. The target can, for example, take the form of three circles arranged in a triangular configuration. An optical camera mounted to the vehicle identifies the target and tracks its movement relative to the vehicle. There are certain shortcomings associated with these prior art systems, notably the requirement that the target is fitted to the vehicle. The initial setup of the trailer tracking system can be time-consuming. In order to track the trailer, the target must be installed in a specified location on the trailer, but this may not be possible depending on the configuration of the trailer. Furthermore, accuracy of the prior art systems may be affected in the low visibility conditions meaning that certain control functions may not be available.
It is against this background that the present invention has been conceived. At least in certain embodiments, the method and apparatus described herein seek to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the shortcomings associated with prior art systems.